Erika Svanoe composer

Dr. Erika Svanoe (b.1976) is a conductor, composer, and educator, currently serving as the Conductor of the Augsburg Concert Band at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she teaches basic and instrumental conducting and a variety of other music courses. Prior to joining the Augsburg faculty, she was Director of Bands at Bemidji State University and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of New Hampshire. In 2007, she was a featured civilian guest conductor with the USAF Heritage of America Band. An active supporter of new and innovative music, she has commissioned and premiered works by Andrew Boysen, Adam Boll, Asako Hirabayashi, and Matthew C. Saunders.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from The Ohio State University, where she served as conductor of the OSU Collegiate Winds from 2006–2009, regular assistant conductor of the OSU Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, and taught undergraduate conducting classes. She also holds a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. In addition to conducting and ensemble direction, she has served as an instructor of clarinet, orchestration, wind literature, music theory, music education, and music appreciation at the college level. She has been an active adjudicator and clinician in New England and the Great Lakes region since 2003.

Dr. Svanoe maintains an active schedule as a composer, writing music for band and chamber ensemble. Her first major work, The Haunted Carousel, won the 2014 NBA Young Band Composition Contest and was featured at the Midwest Clinic and the CBDNA Southern Division Conference. Steampunk Suite was featured at the 2017 American Bandmasters Association National Conference, and performed by “The President's Own” United States Marine Band at the US Capitol Building. Her DMA dissertation included a critical edition of Aaron Copland's El Salón México for wind ensemble. Her related research on Aaron Copland has been published in the WASBE Journal and presented at the CBDNA national conference. She publishes through Alfred Music, and self-publishes through Swan Maiden Press.

She is also the creator of Marrying Mr. Darcy, the Pride & Prejudice card game, and occasionally advocates/speaks on the topics of crowdfunding, game design, and arts entrepreneurship. Originally from Whitewater, Wisconsin, she currently lives near Minneapolis with her husband, designer and graphic novelist Erik Evensen.